Personal Stories

Recent Articles

  • Loud Is Who I Really Am

    Written by, Martha S. The start of my sobriety from weed coincided with the end of my 24-year-marriage to the man who was originally my gay best friend. We had adventures. We survived 9/11, left the City to start a small farm in the mountains, adopted an infant from an African country (both of us…

    Loud Is Who I Really Am
  • There is Hope for the Doctor in Recovery

    Written by, Anonymous I’m a marijuana addict in recovery, and I am also a physician. I have struggled with my addiction in secrecy for my entire life, with not even my sister knowing the extent of my use. I lived a double life—one where I was a “goody-two-shoes” and “smarty pants” and the other where…

    There is Hope for the Doctor in Recovery
  • An MA Miracle

    Written by, Stefania M. *Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse, Child Abuse and Threats Against Life* Hi everyone, my name is Stefania, and I am a marijuana addict. Generation X here and grew up as a hard core Italian. A generation of new breakthroughs, independence and resilience. The generation of “Lachie” kids. Also a beautiful culture, one…

    An MA Miracle
  • Celebrating 30 Days

    Written by, Manuel G Yesterday I reached 30 days without using, and today I want to celebrate that milestone. But this time, I understand something very different: this is not the result of my willpower, my discipline, or my ability to rationalize my way out of addiction. This time I understand that I am here…

    Celebrating 30 Days
  • I Am Not Alone

    Written by, Anneliese B. If someone had told me five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago that I’d be a part of a worldwide, loving fellowship of marijuana addicts, I don’t know that I’d have believed them. I had resigned myself to a lifetime of marijuana smoking, and therefore to a lifetime of isolation, fantasized…

    I Am Not Alone
  • Celebrating 37 Years since the 1st MA Unity Conference

    This month we honor MA’s Unity Conference in Morro Bay, CA – June 16-18, 1989 and within this month’s issue of A New Leaf, we have included “A Brief History of MA,” from Life with Hope. Without our founders, MA might not exist today! They bravely spoke up about marijuana addiction in other 12-Step programs,…

    Celebrating 37 Years since the 1st MA Unity Conference
  • Work it cause YOUR WORTH IT.

    Written by, Day L. Before recovery, I was incredibly hard on myself. I did not believe I was lovable not by anyone else, and honestly not even by myself. Because of that, I gave too much of myself away and looked for validation anywhere I could find it. A big part of that was marijuana.…

    Work it cause YOUR WORTH IT.
  • CALLING IT AS IT IS

    Written by, Leslie J. I can’t believe it happened to me. After brushing off all the gateway drug talks, the silent, disapproving I told you so’s echo in my head. If I had only known the gate was to addiction, period—not just cross-addiction. The first time I heard about weed was in one of those…

    CALLING IT AS IT IS
  • Replying to a Major Publications Article on Weed

    Written by, Param D. Today an article called “Review of Medical Cannabis Use Finds Little Evidence of Benefit” that was published by a major news outlet. I started to read the comments, many of which denied  that weed could be addictive or harmful. It prompted me to write a comment of my own. “I’m a…

    Replying to a Major Publications Article on Weed
  • Can I truly live a life without marijuana?

    Written By, Kat L. At almost 11 months clean and sober, it is hard to imagine a life completely without marijuana. I smoked pot for over 30 years and tried to quit many, many times to no avail. I lived and breathed marijuana. It was what I lived for on a daily basis. I planned…

    Can I truly live a life without marijuana?